MCCAIN FIRST PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE IN PAST 20 YEARS OPPOSING GENOCIDE RECOGNITION
PanARMENIAN.Net
16.10.2008 17:22 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Atlantic Monthly focused in its latest edition
on the Armenian vote in the upcoming elections in an article entitled
"McCain’s Armenia Problem."
The article says, in part,
"John McCain is the first presidential candidate in the past two
decades who is on the record as opposing genocide recognition without
already being a member of the incumbent Administration…
In 1990, McCain voted against a recognition resolution that
was sponsored by then-Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole. In 2000,
campaigning for the Republican nomination in California, McCain
confirmed that he would not support such a resolution. "It was not
under this government in Turkey," McCain said. "I don’t see what this
resolution does to improve this situation one iota." The Senator
has stuck to his position in 2008, attracting widespread criticism
from Armenian groups. "I think the most dangerous part of Senator
McCain is that he is toeing the old Cold War era line that Turkey
is this invaluable ally we cannot offend," warned Areen Ibranossian,
the Chairman of Armenians for Obama, a group promoting the Illinois
Senator among Armenian-Americans nationwide.
The contrast between Obama and McCain extends more broadly to the
United States’ relationship with the Republic of Armenia. Obama’s
January 19th statement pledged to maintain Armenian foreign aid and to
move toward a resolution of the Karabakh conflict that would respect
the "principle of self-determination"–language close to Armenian
demands. On the other hand, John McCain has remained largely silent on
these issues, an attitude his critics deride as worrisome indifference.
The California-based Armenians for Obama group plans to educate
Armenian-American voters about these differences."
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
